Biden talks with key Hill groups amid unrest over his candidacy
President Biden huddled Friday with a trio of Democratic groups, his latest outreach to Capitol Hill as he seeks to quell unrest within the party over his candidacy.
Biden spoke with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) in meetings arranged through each group’s campaign arm.
He was also scheduled to speak with members of the New Democrat Coalition, a centrist group of lawmakers that includes multiple members who have called on Biden to step aside as the nominee.
That meeting is set to place tomorrow virtually, while Biden is in Rehoboth Beach, Del., according to a source familiar with the meeting.
Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), who leads the CAPAC, said Biden "heard our concerns and was energetic, responsive, and clear in communicating his messages and goals. I thank the President for taking the time to have this meeting and hear our concerns."
Congressional Hispanic Caucus leaders have stood behind Biden even as some House Democrats have said he should drop out of the race.
“I can tell you that from my conversations with meetings of CHC members has been very positive,” Rep. Nanette Díaz Barragán (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Monday.
“I support the president,” she added. “I’m not here to talk about a percentage of the risk. I support the president. I think he can win, he has won.”
Multiple members of the New Democrats Coalition have said Biden should step aside, including as recently as Thursday night, when Rep. Eric Sorenson (D-Ill.) and Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) joined the growing list of lawmakers.
Friday's meetings came after Biden spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) Thursday night. Jeffries said he relayed the sentiments of the House Democratic Caucus regarding Biden's reelection bid.
“In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together,” he added.
Jeffries did not offer any specifics on those sentiments, nor did he share his personal perspective regarding Biden’s reelection bid.
Biden has been slowly hemorrhaging support on Capitol Hill this week, with new lawmakers coming forward daily to urge the president to step aside as the nominee. Calls for a change have followed Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate performance, when he struggled to complete his thoughts or land any major blows against former President Trump.
Eighteen Democrats in Congress have publicly called on Biden to step aside as the nominee, while several others have expressed concerns about his ability to beat Trump in November.
Despite those concerns, the president has insisted he is the best man for the job and has brushed aside calls to end his candidacy.
“There's a long way to go in this campaign,” Biden said at a Thursday press conference. “So I'm just going to keep moving. Keep moving and, because, I've got more work to do.”
The president is forging ahead with campaign events in the coming days as he seeks to re-energize his reelection bid.
Biden will be in the key battleground state of Michigan on Friday to campaign with supporters in Detroit. On Monday he will travel to Texas to deliver remarks focused on civil rights and to sit for an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt. Biden will attend events for the NAACP and UnidosUS in Nevada next week as well.
Mychael Schnell contributed